Jon Northrop, Westfield Memorial Hospital Foundation vice president, and Dr. Kathryn Bronstein, Westfield Memorial Hospital Foundation board president, are pictured with Patricia Gaughan DiPalma, foundation executive director, to announce the foundation's annual campaign.

WESTFIELD — The Westfield Memorial Hospital Foundation’s 2020 Annual Campaign is now underway, according to Dr. Kathryn Bronstein, board president, and Patricia Gaughan DiPalma, executive director.

Noting how the once-every-100-years pandemic has shown how essential a rural hospital is to the community it serves, DiPalma reflected on how the long-term effects of the coronavirus outbreak will be profound for years to come.

“Fortunately,” she added, “Allegheny Health Network-Westfield Memorial Hospital and its foundation have been diligently working to ensure individuals have access to the right people at the right place at the right time for all their health care needs.”

Recently, the hospital foundation provided funding for Radiology and Laboratory Department equipment, Telehealth Technology and Walk-In Cooler Repairs.

“Our mission statement has been our guiding light for more than 42 years and continues to direct our future,” said Dr. Bronstein. She continued referring to the foundation’s mission: ‘As the major source of fundraising for Westfield Memorial Hospital, the Westfield Memorial Hospital Foundation will work with the hospital in providing financial support for the delivery of high-quality healthcare to the residents of the Chautauqua region.”

This year’s annual campaign is focused on growing the foundation’s Endowment to guarantee money for the continuation of important hospital services for years to come. The campaign slogan, The Little Hospital That Could, reflects on the hospital’s history of providing care while at the same time recognizes the hospital’s future needs.

In recognition of the importance of this initiative, officials at Allegheny Health Network announced a $100,000 gift to help kick-off the endowment earlier this week.

“If WMH is to remain a forerunner in enhanced diagnostic services, the foundation will continually be called on to provide funding for the sophisticated equipment needed to upgrade all hospital departments now and well into the future,” DiPalma said.

“We’d like to see more residents participate in this campaign than ever before. It’s the generosity of the people who the hospital serves who help make the difference,” Bronstein said. “I challenge each and every one in our hospital service area of Ashville, Bemus Point, Brocton, Chautauqua, Clymer, Dewittvile, Findley Lake, Mayville, Panama, Portland, Ripley, Sherman, Stockton and Westfield to step up and take ownership of the need for state-of-the-art medical equipment for our community hospital.”

A recent mailing to past and potential donors noted the Westfield Memorial Hospital Foundation is beginning this year’s annual campaign. Donations can be sent to the Westfield Memorial Hospital Foundation, 189 E. Main St., Westfield, NY, by Dec.31. For those who would like to learn more about the hospital foundation or how to give to the 2020 annual campaign, email DiPalma at patricia.dipalma@ahn.org, call 793-2338 or visit the foundation’s website at www.westfieldhospitalfoundation.org.

“While we are looking at providing long-term stability of the hospital via this new endowment, you are welcome to restrict your gift as well,” DiPalma said.

In addition to emergency care, the hospital provides an array of services, including ambulatory and short stay surgery, outpatient diagnostic services, physical therapy, cardiac rehab, imaging, women’s diagnostic services, digital mammography, laboratory, diabetes education, nuclear stress testing, wound and infusion clinics, inpatient care, laser eye surgery, a sleep lab, and a specialty services suite that includes general surgery, OB-GYN services, orthopedics, cardiology and diversified hearing services. WMH also provides primary care services at the Chautauqua Institution during its nine week summer season.

“To continue its mission to lend the financial support for the delivery of high-quality health care, these areas will look to the foundation to provide funding for upscale equipment now and well into the future,” Bronstein said.